Lake Erie and Detroit Fishing Update: Walleye, Perch, and Bass Bites Steady Amid Changing Conditions

This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Erie and Detroit area fishing report for Sunday April 20th 2025. We started the day cool and crisp with a light breeze coming off the lake. Sunrise was at 6:44 am and sunset tonight will be at 8:20 pm, giving you plenty of daylight to get in on the action. No tides to worry about here, but lake conditions can change fast with the wind so always check before heading out.

The walleye bite has slowed a little since last week but is still solid, especially east of Stony Point in about 18 feet of water. Anglers trolling artificial swim baits continue to do well, and if you add a little scent to your lure it can make the difference. Troll around 1.5 miles per hour and keep your presentation in that mid-water column. If you’re closer to Turtle Island or southeast of Luna Pier, a few yellow perch have been showing up on blade baits while folks are targeting walleye. Brest Bay is another good area, with spring walleye still hitting in 16 feet of water on a slow troll between 1.3 and 1.6 miles per hour.

If you’re looking to launch in Detroit and work the river, most walleye are moving into post-spawn now and shifting toward deeper holes, but you’ll still find them in the channels. Stick with jigging soft plastics or hair jigs tipped with minnows. In the late morning and early afternoon, smallmouth bass are starting to turn on in about 6 to 9 feet between Memorial Park and 9 Mile. Crankbaits and paddle-tail swimbaits worked slow are the ticket.

Best baits and lures this week are purple and chartreuse swim baits for walleye, blade baits for perch, and natural-colored crankbaits for bass. Don’t forget to have some scented soft plastics in your box.

Hot spots worth checking out include the drop-offs east of Stony Point for walleye, Brest Bay for steady action, and Turtle Island for a shot at mixed bag catches. For bass, the shorelines from Memorial Park toward 9 Mile can produce if you time it with warming sun and calm waters.

Overall fishing has been steady, but weather changes can move the bite quickly. Stay flexible, and good luck on the water today. This is Artificial Lure, wishing you tight lines out on Lake Erie and the Detroit River.

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

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